1. French: variant of Rivière, Rivoire, or Rivier, topographic name for someone living on the banks of a river, French rivier ‘bank’, or habitational name from any of the many places in France named with this word.

2. English: nickname from Middle English revere ‘reiver’, ‘robber’.

3. English: topographic name for someone who lived on the brow of a hill, from a misdivision of the Middle English phrase atter evere ‘at the brow or edge’ (from Old English yfer, efer ‘edge’) or a habitational name from a place named with this phrase, as for example River in West Sussex or Rivar in Wiltshire.

4. Jewish (from Italy): habitational name from a place in Mantua named Revere.

FOREBEARS: The MA patriot Paul Revere (1734-1818), who in April 1775 undertook a famous ride from Boston to Lexington to warn of the approach of British troops, was a silversmith and instrument maker. He was descended from French Huguenots called Rivoire.

See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.